Fender skirt construction



. J y 9 2 e. A. LYON 88,

" I FENDER SKIRT CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 20, 19:59 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July7, 1942.

G. A. LYON 2,288,725

FENDER SKIRT CONSTRUCTIOK Filed Feb. 20, 1939 2 sheet's sheet 2 EEL A iI I I I I I gram? .z'

950106;; 242134161- .LrO V- Patented July 7, 1942 FENDER SKIRTCONSTRUCTION George Albert Lyon, Allcnhurst, N. J., assignor to LyonIncorporated, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 20, 1939, Serial No. 257,424

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an automobile fender skirt construction, andmore particularly to a novel structure for supporting a fender skirt ina fender opening.

An object of this invention is to provide a simplified structure forsupporting a fender skirt in a fender opening.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel spring means forboth supporting and retaining the fender skirt in a fender opening.

A further object of this invention relates to the provision of a novelstructure for cushioning the fender skirt in a fender opening and formaintaining the cushioning means under compression when the skirt is inposition in the opening.

A still further object of the invention relates to the provision of anovel fender skirt which can telescope a fender opening and be supportedby concealed means disposed wholly to the rear of the fender skirt.

Another and yet further object of the invenwardly through a fenderopening and held in place by cooperation with a turned edge defining thefender opening.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there isprovided a structure including a fender having a wheel opening definedby a turned edge, a sheet metal skirt for disposition in the opening soas to telescope the same and having rearwardly extending means hookedover and inside the turned edge and outwardly into contact with the wallof the fender.

Another feature of the invention relates to the construction of theretaining spring elements which are so disposed relative to the skirtand fender opening as to require mounting of the skirt from the innerside of the fender opening in order to dispose the skirt in the opening.

A further feature of the invention relates to the provision ofcompressible cushioning means on the skirt arranged to be'placed undercompression by the act of mounting the skirt in the fender opening andheld into compression by the retaining means for supporting andretaining the skirt in the opening.

Other objects and features of this invention will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof; andin which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of the rear end of an automobileshowing my novel fender skirt applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view looking outwardly at the fenderskirt disposed in the opening;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken on theline 'III-III of Figure 2 looking in the direction indicated by thearrows and showing the skirt in its closed or concealing position; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 but showing theposition of the skirt as it is being applied from the inner side of thefender to the turned edge defining the fender opening.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference character I0 designates generally the rear fender of anautomobile and which fender is provided with the usual fender opening IIdefined by a turned edge I2 formed integral with the wall of the fender.This turned edge I2 has its rearmost extremity I3 turned back upon thefender wall so as to be concealed by the fender wall.

Disposed in the fender opening II is a fender skirt designated generallyby the reference character I5 and having a shape approximating generallya semi-circle so as to conform with and telescope the fender opening II. This skirt is provided with a plurality of rearwardly extendingspring retaining elements designated generally by the referencecharacter I6. These elements may be of any suitable number, such, forexample, as five, as illustrated in Figure 2. Each of these elementsincludes an axially extending relatively straight leg I'I disposedinside of and secured by rivet I9 to the semi-circular flange 20 formedintegral and comprising a portion of the fender skirt I5.

Each of the elements I6 also includes inturned or gooseneck portion I9extending radially outward from the skirt and having a forwardlyextending leg I8, which is in reality turned back upon the leg I! and ishooked over extremity I3 of the turned fender edge I2.

It will be perceived from Figures 3 and 4 that the leg I8 is angled sothat when it is in retaining position it extends inside of the outergroove defined by the turned edge I2 of the fender. In other words, theangled intermediate portion of this leg I9 is disposed radially inwardof the outermost extremity I3 of the turned edge I2 so as to support thefender skirt on this edge, as

well as to prevent shifting of the skirt rearwardly' I relative to theturned edge.

In addition to the foregoing, the leg I8 is provided with an outwardlyturned outer extremity 2| adapted, when the spring is in retainingposition, to bear against the body of the fender wall In so as to limitoutward displacement of the skirt relative to the fender opening. Thus,this leg I8 of the spring element serves to restrict lateral movementboth transversely rearwardly and transversely outwardly relative to theturned edge in addition to supporting the fender skirt on the turnededge. It will, of course, be appreciated that what I have said about thesingle retaining element 16 is also applicable to all five of theelements illustrated as being applied to the fender skirt.

The fender skirt I5 is also provided with a semicircular groove 24disposed between the outermost portion of the skirt and the flange 20,in which there is disposed a rubber cushioning bead 25 adapted to beplaced under compression when the skirt is telescoped inside of theturned edge l2.

In Figure 3, I have illustrated the position of the skirt when it issupported and retained by the element l6 inside of the fender openingII. On the other hand, in Figure 4, I have illustrated the manner inwhich the skirt is applied transversely outwardly to the opening II. Inthis application of the skirt to the fender, the uppermost spring isfirst hooked over the extremity [3 of the turned edge 12, and the skirtis then progressively worked or pressed in a direction outwardly untilall of the other spring elements are worked or cammed into a retainingposition. It will, of course, be appreciated that due to theconstruction of the spring the skirt cannot be applied from the outer orface side of the fender to the fender opening but must be applied fromthe inner or rear side of the fender and then worked outwardly.

After the skirt is in the position shown in Figure 3, it will beappreciated that the rubber bead 25 is under compression so as toestablish an anti-rattle fit between the skirt and the fender edge l2.Also, as pointed out hereinbefore, the spring elements not only supportthe skirt in a vertical direction on the extremity l3 of the turned edgeI2, but in addition thereto restrict l movement in a horizontal planeboth transversely rearwardly and transversely outwardly relative to thefender opening.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be varied through a wide range without departing from the principlesof this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit thepatent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fender shield for covering the wheel opening of a vehicle fenderhaving an inturned edge, said shield having an outer peripheral edgewhich abuts said edge of said fender, the outer face of the fendershield and the outer face of the fender forming a substantially smoothsurface, said shield having a welt receiving means about said peripheraledge, a welt disposed in said receiving means, said shield having aninner extending flange adjacent said welt, a reversely bent retainingfinger secured to said inner extending flange, said finger being bent toform a stop adapted to engage the inner face of the fender, whereby theshield is mounted on the fender by a movement from the rear towards thefront, the stop contacts the inner fender face and thereby locates theshield in the opening.

2. A fender shield for covering the wheel opening of a vehicle fenderhaving an inturned edge, said shield having an outer peripheral edgewhich abuts said inturned edge of said fender, the outer face of thefender shield and the outer face of the fender forming a substantiallysmooth surface, said shield having an inner extending flange adjacentsaid peripheral edge of said shield which abuts said fender, a reverselybent retaining finger secured to said inner extending flange, saidfinger being bent to form a stop adapted to engage the inner face of thefender, whereby the shield is mounted in the fender by a movement fromthe rear towards the front, the stop contacts the inner fender face andthereby locates the shield in the opening.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

